Japanese experts to help in waste management
A five-member Japanese team of experts in solid waste management recently shared methods of effective and sustainable waste management with the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC). The team inspected the biggest dumping ground at Sarona in Raipur, where tonnes of garbage is dumped daily. Though the RMC has issued a tender for processing the garbage, it plans to manage the waste and improve its solid waste management. The RMC has increased the frequency of garbage collection and is ensuring the separation of non-biodegradable and biodegradable waste.
Bhupesh, Jogi ahead of Raman in election tweets
After the imposition of the model code of conduct, Chief Minister Raman Singh is behind Congress president Bhupesh Baghel and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi in posting contents on Twitter. Social media is full of gossip and comments related to the Assembly polls. However, Chief Minister Raman Singh is way ahead of the two other leaders in terms of followers, which number over 21 lakh. Bhupesh Baghel comes next with 19,344 followers, and former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has 8,708 followers on Twitter. The digital war rooms of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Congress and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh have already swung into action ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for Novermer 12 and 20.
AAP declares CM candidate
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Chhattisgarh has declared Komal Hupendi, 37, a tribal, as its chief ministerial candidate. Born in Kanker district in north Bastar, Hupendi resigned from the post of cooperative extension officer in 2016 and joined AAP. The scheduled tribes, which account for around 32 per cent of the 2.25 crore population in Chhattisgarh, are said to hold the key to the state Assembly, so all political parties are keen to influence the tribal voters. Twenty-nine of the 90 constituencies in the state are reserved for ST candidates. The BJP and the Congress have shrugged off the presence of AAP in the poll fray as “insignificant”.
Senior journalist joins Congress
A senior Raipur-based journalist and a member of the Editors Guild of India, Ruchir Garg, recently joined the Congress Party in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi. Garg has served as editor in different newspapers and news channels during a career spanning more than three decades. Garg, known for his independent journalism, recently resigned from one of the leading Hindi dailies, Navbharat. Speculation is rife that the Congress may offer him a ticket from one of the seats in the state capital.
Ejaz Kaiser
Our correspondent in Chhattisgarh
ejaz@newindianexpress.com